#kibum fluff

“Why?”

She shrugged. “I didn’t ask. Trainer Lee told us there wouldn’t be any lessons today and that was all I needed to hear.”

He nodded. “What are you doing now?” Kibum pointed at the coffee table where her books were scattered on it.

“We have to do a project on a Korean ballerina, I’m doing Park Saeeun,” Eve answered. “It’s due in a week so I’m doing it now to get it out of the way.”

“Yeoksi, my princess is smart to do her work in advance,” he complimented her. Kibum walked into the kitchen to get something to eat.

“Your food’s in the fridge, just warm it up!” Eve told him, referring to the lunch she made. She focused again on her project.

“Thank you!” He got his food and put it in the microwave. When the microwave beeped, signalling that his food was heated up, he took it out. He fetched a spoon, beginning to eat his food as he stood against the counter. “Oh, I’m going to have my friends over for a movie tonight.”

“Okay,” she said as she continued working on her project. “What time will it be?”

“They’ll get here around seven thirty and we’ll start watching the movie at eight.”

Eve hummed. “I won’t be at home then. I’ve got my practice, remember?”

“Right!” Kibum nodded, remembering the late night practice she told him about yesterday. “What time?”

“Six until ten.”

He hummed as he ate his food. “I’ll pick you up after. The movie should be done by then.”

She nodded. “Thank you taxi driver-nim!”

“Yah, don’t call me that!” He complained, pointing his spoon at her. “You don’t even pay me.”

“You give me my allowance. If I paid you, it’d just be with your money.”

“Then I should stop giving you an allowance.”

“No! Don’t.” Eve pouted. “I need the allowance,” she said sweetly.

Kibum hummed noncommittally as he continued to eat his food. “Where are the babies?” He asked, referring to his dogs.

“I think in your room. I gave them food when I got home and then started working on my project. Lemme go check on them.” She stood up and went to her brother’s room. “They’re here!” She whisper-shouted. She reappeared, going back to her work station in the sitting room. “I think Commes Des has anger issues,” she said as she read information on Saeeun. “He kept growling at Garçon earlier,” she told him.

“He doesn’t have anger issues,” Kibum defended his dog, “he just has a strong personality.”

Eve stared at her brother. “He’s–”

“An angry dog, I know honey.” Rolling his eyes, he finished the last of his lunch. “But you’re also just scared of dogs, so you have a biassed opinion.”

“No. My fear of dogs helps me know which dogs are sweet and which dogs aren’t.”

“Whatever you say.” He walked out of the kitchen, going to sit next to Eve. Looking over her shoulder at her work, he sucked his teeth repeatedly. “You’re going to get full marks.”

“You think so?”

He hummed. “If you use a different colour to write the information for the poster, it’ll be a guaranteed 90%.”

“Which colour should I use?” She asked, laying out her highlighter on the table. Kibum leaned forward, looking over the five different highlighters.

“There’s only five colours? I thought after all these years they would’ve added new ones.”

“They added the green and blue. The standard set only has these three.” Eve pointed at the yellow, pink and orange highlighters. “But I have these markers–” she took her markers out of her pencil case– “and there’s many colours.”

Kibum gasped. “There’s even gold. What’s taking highlighters so long to add more colours?”

Eve shrugged. “You should file a complaint.”

The siblings spent the next few hours working on designing Eve’s poster for her project. The dogs woke up and started circling them as they worked. In order to keep them from chewing on her stuff, Eve threw a ball for them to play with. When she had gotten most of her work done, she changed into her leotard and tights, putting her clothes back on before going to the kitchen. She grabbed her bag, stuffing a few snacks in the side pockets so that she’d have something to eat.

“Bye, oppa.” She waved goodbye to her brother as she opened the front door.

“Bye, Nabi-yah,” he replied, playing with Garçon.

“Love you!”

“Love you too.”

After Eve’s practice, she texted Kibum.

princess nabi [22:14] i’m done now

keybutt (ahjussi #3) [22:14] okay~~ i’ll be there within twenty minutes

She sat down on the stairs of the entryway of the school with some of her classmates as they waited to get picked up.

Ten minutes later, one of her teachers, Minji, walked out of the building. “Nabi, what are you still doing here?” She looked around, seeing Eve was the only person.

“I’m waiting for my brother,” Eve responded. “He should be here in a few minutes.”

“Should I wait with you?”

Eve shook her head. “No, you don’t have to trouble yourself. You can go home, Teacher Minji.”

Minji shifted her eyes. “I’m not comfortable leaving you here by yourself.”

“No, Teacher Minji, I’ll be okay. You don’t have to worry. The security guards are still here–” she pointed at the booth by the gate where there were two security guards inside– “so I’m not alone.”

Minji stared at her. “Do you not like my company?”

“That’s not it. I just don’t see the point of you wasting your time because of me.”

“Well, I do. And I’m the adult, so what I say goes.”

Eve huffed. “If you insist,” she said as Minji sat down next to her. Eve opened her bag, ruffling around in it before pulling out a bag of Doritos. “Would you like?” She offered the packet to her teacher.

Minji stared at her. “Didn’t you already eat Doritos during our break?”

Eve tapped her bag. “I have four packets in here.”

Nodding, Minji accepted the chips. “At this point, you should just inject these into your bloodstream.”

Eve took another packet out of her bag. “I should, right? But my mom says not to.”

They sat in silence, only the sound of their crunching chips filling the air. When they were done, Eve took the empty packets and threw them away in the nearest dustbin before returning to her position. She pulled a marker out of her bag, drawing doodles on her hand whilst Minji answered messages on her phone. Soon, a car pulled up to the gate, stopping so the guards would raise it before driving in.

“I think your brother is here,” Minji said, grabbing Eve’s attention.

“Oh! He is.” Eve packed up all the markers she used, having decided to use every colour she had, and zipped up her bag. She stood up and bowed to her teacher, who was also standing. “Thank you for waiting with me.”

“It’s okay.” Minji started walking to her car. “You can bring me a packet of Doritos next time.”

Eve saluted, watching her teacher open her car door. “Aya aye, captain.” She waited until Minji entered the car before walking to Kibum’s. Opening the back door, Eve laid herself against the seats with a groan, putting on the seatbelt of the chair behind her brother.

“You just got in and you’re already complaining,” Kibum said, driving out of the school.

Eve raised her hand in objection. “I didn’t say anything yet.” She took a deep breath before exhaling with a dramatic groan. “Being a ballerina is hard work,” she whined. “My back is sore, my legs are sore, my arms are sore… Who decided to sign me up for this?”

“You,” her brother answered absentmindedly. “It’s a left here, right?” He asked, causing Eve to stare at him in confusion — not that he could see her.

“Yeah, it is,” a voice answered from the passenger seat. A female voice. A female voice that Eve recognised but couldn’t put a name to. A female voice that belonged to a person she didn’t even notice was in the car.

Pushing herself off the backseat, Eve stared at the person. Because of the lack of light, she wasn’t able to identify her. So she instead focused on her brother. “Why didn’t you tell me someone was here?”

“You came in here crying and whining,” he argued. “When was I supposed to tell you?”

“You could’ve texted me and told me not to be annoying! Then I wouldn’t have been annoying!”

Kibum scoffed. “All you are is annoying,” he teased.

Eve gaped at her brother as the car slowed down, the influx of parents picking their kids up from hagwon causing traffic. “Wow. Just how annoying do you think I can be in however long it takes for the traffic to clear up? On a scale of one to ten, how annoying?”

“Eight. Eight point two five,” he rectified. “You’re going to fall asleep before we even make it home. That’ll give me some silence. Anyways, you haven’t even greeted my guest,” he reminded her of the woman, who was silently laughing beside him.

“You’re right.” She turned to look at the woman. “Hello, I’m Kim Nabi,” she introduced herself.

“Ah, you must be the sister,” the woman said, Kibum nodding in confirmation. “I’m Nicole,” she said, turning back to look at Eve, who immediately gasped.

Sitting back against her chair, Eve nodded. “Cool. Cool. Amazing. Great!” She chuckled nervously, trying not to freak out over the fact that Nicole of KARA was in the same car as her. Giving up on being chill, Eve tried to open her door, frowning when it wouldn’t open. “Is the door locked?” She asked her brother.

“Child lock just for you,” he answered sweetly.

Eve sighed, lowkey panicking. “Do you think I could break the window?”

“No.”

“The door?”

“No.”

“The–”

“You can’t break anything, this is a rental.”

“Just buy a car already!” Eve whined in distress. “You’re gonna make little girls cry.”

“What’s happening?” Nicole asked.

“I told you about how she’s a big fan, right?” He asked, waiting for her to nod before continuing, “Whenever she sees someone she’s a fan of, for some reason, she runs away like a weirdo.”

Nicole nodded in understanding. “So she’s trying to run away?”

“Yeah. But I don’t understand why because we’re friends and she knows that.”

“There’s a reason I’m almost never home whenever you have friends over. Or if I am home, I don’t leave my room,” Eve said. “I think I’m having a heart attack.”

“Drink water. You’ll be fine.”

Eve took her bottle out of her bag, gulping down the rest of the water. Sighing once she was done, she felt herself relax. “I do feel better. But I would like to leave.”

Kibum shook his head. “No. You kind of have to stay.”

“Okay,” she said, nodding sadly.

“You’re a Kamilia?” Nicole asked, looking back at Eve, who shook her head.

“Not even. I-I don’t even know who you are. You look like somebody, but everybody looks like somebody. Which makes sense because… everybody is somebody so they-they’re gonna look like somebody, you know? And isn’t it so crazy how people have the same features but look so different? I think it’s crazy. You know what else is crazy?” Eve asked, not giving anyone time to answer. “People. In general. Because–”

“What’s your favourite song?” Nicole interrupted.

“Lupin,” Eve answered without missing a beat.

“Oh! I thought it would’ve been one of the more upbeat songs like Pretty Girl or Mister.”

“I was also surprised by how much I liked it,” Eve said, playing with her fingers.

“This is a bit of a cheeky question, but who’s your favourite member?”

“Um, you and Seungyeon sunbaenim.”

“Really?”

Eve nodded. “Seungyeon sunbaenim is a great singer and you’re a great dancer.”

The three people spent some more time talking, Nicole trying her best to make Eve feel comfortable around her, until the latter girl started feeling sleepy.

“Go to sleep, gongju-yah,” Kibum told her, glancing at her through her in the rearview mirror and noticing how the pout on her face had gotten less prominent the more tired she got. Eve nodded, lying sideways with her head on her bag as she fell asleep.

“Why is she so cute?” Nicole cooed. “It’s crazy!” She squealed. “Does she pout in her sleep?”

Kibum nodded. “It’s annoying,” he complained. “But if you tell her she’s cute, she’ll deny it.”

“She’s the cutest person to ever exist. Why would she deny it?”

“She’s a weirdo.”

“Can I steal her to be my sister?”

“Why are you asking me? You have to ask my parents!”

“Would they let me?”

“Of course not.” He scoffed. “She’s the princess of the family.”

“That’s too bad,” she said with a sigh as they approached her apartment building. Kibum parked outside the gate, unlocking the car to let her out. “Bye, Key.”

“Bye, Cole.” He watched her get into the apartment complex before driving back to his place. When he parked, he turned around to wake Eve up. “Nabi-yah,” he called out softly a few times until she stirred from her sleep. “Let’s go up.”

Pushing herself off the chair, she unbuckled her seat belt and held her bag before leaving the car with her brother. They rode the elevator to their level, Eve immediately going to the kitchen to get something to eat. As she waited for the food she picked out to warm up, Kibum walked up to her, looking at his phone.

“Nicole said she hopes the next time you see her you’ll feel more comfortable,” he told her.

“Absolutely not,” Eve said, shaking her head. “I was only semi-comfortable because I was tired.”

Kibum typed, waiting a few seconds for her to respond. “She said she’ll just have to spend a lot of time around you until you’re comfortable.”

Taking her food out of the microwave when it was done, Eve sighed. “This is crazy.”

tagging: @seolboba // @ateezivy // @ateezjuliet // @cafemilk-tea // @smh-anon // @alixnsuperstxr // @cosmicwintr // @girlzwfun // @txt-yaomi

    "It's not that bad." Kibum's arm slinked around the back of the couch. The tips of his fingers brushed against your shoulders. "At least we're suffering together."

    "Looks like someone forgot who's on the couch tonight."

    His head lolled back as he groaned, hitting the couch’s stiff headrest with an audible thump. "We're in hell."

    After an eternity of the couch trying to swallow you whole, you stretched your arms with a little yawn. Straightening your posture took great effort but you rose to your feet while using Kibum for balance. Tension riddled his shoulder, the muscles taut and tight. Your lips pulled down into a frown. Digging your thumb into the largest knot, you grappled with it, squeezing it between your fingers. Kibum swatted you away with an indignant huff.

    “You’re worse than the springs stabbing me in the back.”

    “You need a massage.”

    “Not from you, not with those hands.”

    He chuckled mirthlessly, shaking his head. Throwing your hands up in surrender, you mumbled out a ‘fine’. Once you were back in the big city you would schedule a spa day for the two of you… not that a single session could fix the damage this hell-tel had caused. You would need a vacation from your vacation at this rate. Somewhere free from cars and their woes, perhaps with a king-sized bed, and functioning amenities (would that be too much to ask?). At the very least it should have a working fridge, or an ice machine, or even a convenience store nearby with either a working fridge or ice machine.

    Snapping your fingers as you remembered why you had gotten up in the first place, you crossed the room. It didn’t take much – once you sidled past the table, a single step brought you to the mini fridge. The cooling component inside grumbled to life, mocking you and your desires. Taking it a step further, it didn’t budge as you tried to pry the dented door open. Just typical. Gritting your teeth, you put your whole back into it. It shook and rumbled within your sweaty palms but remained sealed.

    “Just open already,” you growled, kicking the machine.

    “Did you unlock it?”

    “It doesn’t have a lock.”

    “Are you sure about that?”

    “Yes, I’m… sure?” Giving the metal box a once-over, a wave of confusion swept over you. Near the bottom on the left side was a glimmering latch. “Huh. That’s new.”

    “They installed it yesterday.”

    “Really?” you asked, snapping around to face Kibum. Incredulity morphed into irritation once you caught sight of his smirk. “Ha-ha, funny. So glad you can find a way to prank me even here. You’re so clever.”

    “Thank you,” he said, unable to hide his triumphant glee. “And you’re pretty cute when you get all worked up like that.”

    Warmth tinged your ears. You gave him a dismissive wave before directing your attention back to your initial task. When you unlatched the fridge with a huff, it responded with an obnoxious hum that rolled out into the room. It was bare aside from a six pack of beer and a couple bottles of water. The air inside was warmer than the room’s ambient temperature, and the two cans you grabbed weren’t much cooler. You tossed one to Kibum. Froth spilled out as you flipped the tab. It poured onto the floor, earning you a disapproving look from your temporary roommate. Even so he followed suit. Leaning forward, he cracked it open and soon after the carpet soaked up the suds.

    “Now we have to leave a bigger tip for the housekeeper.”

    “As if they even have one,” you said with a shudder, looking down at the old stains that littered the carpet. “Anyway, let’s toast! Here's hoping the part arrives tomorrow!"

    You raised the can to clink against his. Liquid sloshed against metal as your beers bounced against one another. Bringing the drink to your lips, you took a swig. Your regret was immediate. Warm, flat beer rushed down your throat and you choked. Bitter alcohol stung your nose and burned your throat. Kibum’s eyes widened at your outburst but it was too late, the drink was already slipping past his lips. Throwing his head forward, he unceremoniously spat it back into the can.

    Shadows crossed his flawless skin as he glowered at you. "Even if the car isn't fixed tomorrow, I'm out of here. I'll walk if I have to. I never want to see this town again."

    Clearing your throat of the vile drink, you scratched your head. "Still want to go out?"

    "And drink more of that?” He sighed, discarding the drink on the table. "Let's just go to bed. We have to be well rested so we can count chickens or whatever else they consider entertainment around here."

    "The baby chicks were kind of cute though," you said as you walked to the sink, emptying the beer down the drain. Even over the strained glugging of the pipes you heard Kibum scoff. "What? They were!"

    "I'm taking the bed tonight."

    Dropping the can, you tripped over your feet in your haste to accost him. “Like hell you are!”

    He pushed the coffee table into your direct path before you could scramble to the bedroom to stake your claim. Standing with poise and grace, he brushed away not-so-imaginary dust while looking you up and down. There was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he walked around the table. Now opposite you, he tutted.

    “I’m not spending another night on that couch”—you opened your mouth in protest but he pressed a finger to your lips—“but since it’s your turn for the bed, I’m willing to share it with you.”

    “Share?” you whined before shoving the table back against the couch. He nodded. “Fine. We can share. Since it’s the last night.”

    “Good. It’s about time we slept together, anyway.”

    Warmth rushed throughout your veins. You spluttered, looking anywhere but directly at him, until you heard his breathless chuckling. Another of his little jokes. The embarrassment fell from your face, replaced with an exhausted frown. Your gaze looped around from his feet to his million-dollar smile. Immaculate despite the environment, his silky hair framing gleaming eyes.

    “Just where did your mind go, huh?”

    “Are you going to bed or…?”

    “I’m worried that I might not get any sleep,” he teased, stepping into your space. With him came the scent of mint. “Are you going to pounce me in the middle of the night?”

    Giving his chest a light nudge, you rolled your eyes in an attempt to dispel the heat blossoming across your cheeks. “As if. Stop playing around.”

    “Alright, alright, but”—using the side of his crooked finger, he lifted your chin, the intensity of his stare sending shivers down your spine—“I won’t complain if you change your mind.”

Again, Key let out a frustrated huff. “Y/N, come on,” he murmured. “We have to talk about it sooner or later. Graduation is next week.”

Rather than responding to him, telling him you certainly did not have to talk about it -- not just sooner or later, but ever -- you simply stepped up to the counter and waved your hand to get Marie’s attention.

The owner of the shop sidled up on the other side of the counter, eyebrows raised expectantly as she waited for you to place your order.

“One chocolate chip cookie dough in a waffle cone, and one rainbow sherbet in a cup, please,” you requested, shooting Marie a sweet smile.

“You got it, sweetie,” Marie winked. “Coming right up.”

“Y/N,” Key sighed before you felt his hands come down on your shoulders.

“Rainbow sherbet is your favorite,” you said in a sing-song tone, finally turning to face him.

Key pursed his lips, and you began to feel slight pangs of guilt for avoiding him like you were...

But you really didn’t want to talk about what he wanted to talk about!

Even though it was inevitable!

If you didn’t talk about it, things could get really sad and awkward!

And Key had been your best friend since Kindergarten, practically, so there was no way you were going to jeopardize your friendship.

“What else is there to talk about?” you finally said, lifting your shoulders (and Key’s hands) into a shrug.

“Uh, let’s see,” Key replied in the sassiest of tones. “We could start by talking about the fact you still haven’t decided where you’re going to school.”

Your heart began to beat just a bit more quickly, and your gaze flitted to the side, avoiding Key’s.

“I have plenty of time,” you chuckled awkwardly.

“You do not! We graduate next week! You can’t go into summer vacation not knowing where you’re going to college!”

“I’m sure plenty of people do it!” you defended.

Key opened his mouth to issue a retort, but Marie interrupted by handing his sherbet cup over the counter.

“One rainbow sherbet,” she announced happily.

Key thanked her after taking the cup, grabbed a spoon, and then issued his retort.

“I don’t care if other people do it,” he told you. “I care that you’re doing it. Because you’re my best friend, and I just don’t understand --”

“Well, I don’t understand why you want to leave so badly,” you interjected.

Key simply let out a single laugh before digging into his sherbet and sticking his spoon in his mouth.

“What? What’s so funny?” you asked as Marie handed over your chocolate chip cookie dough cone.

Your best friend threw a quirked brow your way, and you shrugged innocently before taking a rather large bite of your ice cream.

“You know I don’t belong here,” Key said quietly as the two of you plopped onto some barstools by the window.

And, yes, you did know that. Or, at least, you knew he’d been talking about leaving for about five years now.

The thing was -- you and Key grew up (and currently lived) in a very small town. Everyone knew each other, and things rarely ever changed.

But Key loved change. He liked to shake things up.

You did not.

Change... kind of terrified you.

So the fact Key wanted to leave and most likely never come back... kind of terrified you.

Because you didn’t want to leave.

You liked things the way they were, and you never wanted anything to change. Ever.

“It’s not so bad here, though,” you said for probably the twentieth time. “You could go to college, become a teacher, and then come back here and teach theater or music or something!”

Key simply let out a very heavy sigh.

You knew that wasn’t going to happen, but you figured you would offer it up as a suggestion anyway. It doesn’t hurt to try, right?!

“I don’t want to leave you here,” he finally murmured.

“I don’t want you to leave me here, either!”

“So just come with me! We’ll go to school together! We’ll build a whole new life together!” he pleaded, almost to the point of actually begging you on his knees.

Your brow furrowed deeply, and you stared at your chocolate chip cookie dough cone, watching as it slowly melted and dripped over your finger.

You wanted to.

You wanted to go with him, but... what about your family? What if you left and things fell apart without you? Or what if you left and things got better without you? What if you hated going to college? What if you flunked out? What if you didn’t make any new friends?

All of these ‘what ifs’ just made you so anxious! It would be so much easier, so much better if you just stayed here.

I mean... you wouldn’t have Key if you just stayed here. So that definitely wouldn’t be better.

“Please,” Key whispered, moving to rest his head on your shoulder. “I don’t want to do life without you.”

You knew you couldn’t give him the answer he wanted. Not right now, and maybe not ever.

But you could tell him, “I’ll think about it.”

“You’ll really think about it?”

“...Yes. I will really think about it.”

You would certainly try. For him.

Graduation came and went in a total blur. I mean, it didn’t actually last that long because there were less than thirty students graduating, but still. It seemed to pass in just the blink of an eye.

The few days after graduation, Key was busy packing up. Unsurprisingly, he had decided to enroll in summer classes, so he was set to move out in just a week or two.

So while he was busy packing, you were busy distracting yourself and denying everything. Pretending like it wasn’t happening. Pretending like he was packing for vacation. 

When the time came for him to actually leave.... well, you still told yourself he was coming back. Even when he was hugging you tightly and you could hear him sniffling, you still smiled. You were convinced he wasn’t leaving for good.

Even though he was.

Things didn’t really hit you until the next weekend.

Usually, you and Key spent afternoons after school together doing homework; the weekends were reserved for everything fun. And when Key, things were always fun. You would see a movie or go shopping or talk about what your classmates had worn that week or whatever your hearts desired.

As long as it didn’t require too much money or a car.

You were high school students in a small town, after all.

At least... you used to be.

When you woke up the Saturday after Key left, your first instinct was to pick up your phone and text him, ask him what he wanted to do today.

You actually did type it out, but before you pressed ‘Send,’ you realized...

You wouldn’t like his answer.

And only then did you admit to yourself he had left. For good.

You would be able to see him from time to time, but he was never going to live here again.

He was gone, and you were still here.

And... honestly, you just couldn’t handle that. You couldn’t deal with it.

What was life without Key, your very best friend? Who would you spend all of your time with? Who would you tell everything to? Who would support you and comfort you and tell you to suck it up and give you the tough love you needed?

Suddenly (though probably not so suddenly), you felt a tear slide down your cheek. You felt your throat closing up and your stomach forming a huge, bottomless hole.

And all of your feelings crashed down on you at once.

Why had you been so stupid? Why had you pushed everything to the side instead of just dealing with it? Instead of just making a decision?

You had been worried about leaving your family, but you knew your family would always be here. They would always be right here whenever you came back.

But Key wouldn’t. 

Who knows where he would end up? He would probably conquer the world, and one thing you knew for sure -- you wanted to be with him.

You got out of bed and ready as quickly as possible, telling your mom you were going to visit Key -- and not telling her you were probably never coming back.

I mean, you would come back to pack up your things and stuff. But you know what I mean.

You drove for about an hour until you realized you had no idea where you were going. So you told Siri to call him, your heart thumping with each ring that came through your car speakers.

“Hey,” Key answered after the fourth ring. “What’s up?”

“Hi, so, um, where do you live?”

“...What do you mean?” he chuckled.

“Where are you? Right now?”

“I’m in my dorm room,” he told you, sounding more than a little confused. “What’s going on?”

“Text me your address.”

“...Okay. Y/N, what’s going on?”

“Just text me your address. Thanks!” You quickly hung up before he could ask again, though you weren’t sure why you hadn’t just told him you were coming to see him...

A few moments later, a message came through on your phone. You carefully clicked on the address Key had sent, bringing it up in your Maps app and setting your destination.

About an hour later, you found yourself parking in front of Key’s dorm, your heart now beating wildly.

He was already waiting outside for you, and the second you saw him, you felt that lump in your throat forming again. You felt hot tears pressing against the backs of your eyes as you ran to him, immediately sliding your arms around his middle and pressing your face into his neck.

“Hey, what’s wrong? What are you doing here?” Key asked, that all too familiar confused laugh hidden in his voice.

“I’m sorry,” you murmured, trying your absolute best to stop those tears from falling. “I shouldn’t have pretended like you were coming back. I shouldn’t have acted like everything was okay. I’m not okay. I don’t want you to leave. I mean, I know you already left, and I’m sorry I didn’t realize earlier that I didn’t want you to leave.”

Key let out a somewhat amused sigh, bringing his arms around you and patting your back comfortingly. “It took you a whole week to realize that?”

“I want to be here,” you continued. “I want to be with you. I don’t think I can live without you. I can’t be myself without you.”

You felt Key freeze. You almost pulled away to look at him, but he spoke before you had the chance to.

“You... what? You want to be with me?” he asked softly.

You nodded, clutching the back of his shirt for dear life.

“Like... be with me?”

Why was he asking you again? You’d just said ‘yes’!

So you nodded again.

And, this time, Key leaned back. He let his arms fall from around your shoulders. He brought his hands up to cradle your cheeks.

And then he kissed you.

Your eyes flew open immediately, your breath catching in your throat because you were shocked. More than shocked.

What -- what was going on?

Why was Key kissing you?

You were much too stunned to say or do anything, but thankfully, Key wasn’t. He pulled away after a few seconds, pressing his forehead against yours and letting his breath fan over your lips.

“I was hoping you would realize it,” he whispered. “Obviously, I was hoping you would realize before I left, but a week isn’t bad.”

“...Realize what?” you croaked, your voice just barely audible.

“That we’re more than just friends. I’ve known for a long time, but I wanted to wait for you. And now you’re here.”

Oh -- oh, god. Were you here?

Were you?!

Your mind was absolutely racing -- along with your heart -- but when you opened your mouth to tell Key you had no idea what was going on...

You couldn’t speak.

You couldn’t say anything.

And then all of a sudden you were kissing him again.

You were kissing him back.

Because you had meant every word you’d said just a minute ago.

You wanted to be here with him. You didn’t know how you could live without him by your side. You didn’t know if you could be yourself without him by your side.

You had always known deep down Key would be by your side for the rest of your life, but had you thought it would be as just your friend?

Had you really expected him to find someone else to fall in love with and get married to?

Had you really expected you to find someone else to fall in love with? Get married to?

...When you really thought about it, no. You hadn’t even let those thoughts enter your mind.

But, to be honest, you weren’t going to let any thoughts of love enter your mind right now.

Right now, all you would focus on was getting registered for college. Getting a dorm, getting a roommate, signing up for classes.

And being with Key.